What United States Ice Rink Association does

The United States Ice Rink Association (USIRA), also operating under the DBA "STAR" (Serving The American Rinks), is a non-profit national membership organization founded in 2000 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was co-established by USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating to serve as the central trade body for U.S. ice rink facility owners/operators, industry suppliers, and individual rink professionals. USIRA's product portfolio centers on three membership tiers (Individual at $95/year, Facility at $350/year, Vendor at $475/year), three professional certification programs (Certified Ice Technician recognized by the NHL, Certified Rink Manager, and Certified Rink Administrator delivered through in-person Regional Training Programs), a bi-monthly trade publication (RINK Magazine), an annual conference and trade show (NARCE), a quarterly-distributed Vendor Member Directory flipbook, a used-equipment marketplace, an online job board, and a STEM educational field-trip program for member facilities. The association is governed by a Board of Directors with representation from USA Hockey, U.S. Figure Skating, and elected facility, vendor, individual, and at-large members; Jeff Theiler serves as COO.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of subscription recurring membership dues, advertising sales (RINK Magazine, managed through Nordstar Media Group), professional services revenue from certification courses and Regional Training Programs, and event income from NARCE exhibitor booths and sponsorships. GTM motion is community-led: USIRA grows its base through industry-recognized credentials (particularly the NHL-backed CIT), regional in-person training hosted at member rinks, and content distribution (RINK Magazine, weekly RINK Network newsletter, quarterly Vendor Directory flipbook) targeted at every indoor ice rink in the United States. Technology is a conventional SaaS-light stack: a weblinkconnect member portal, a digital flipbook platform (Uberflip), an online job board, and a private Facebook Group for member networking; there is no proprietary software product or disclosed AI capability. Distribution is domestic-only with no international expansion signal.

Name

United States Ice Rink Association

Legal name

SERVING THE AMERICAN RINKS (aka "STAR") DBA - United States Ice Rink Association

Website

https://usicerinks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The United States Ice Rink Association is a non-profit national membership organization, co-founded in 2000 by USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating, that provides certifications, training, publications, and an annual conference for U.S. ice rink facility owners, operators, vendors, and professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ice Rink Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Rinks & Winter Sports Facilities (MPAKAEAG)

Keywords

• Ice rink industry
• Professional certification
• Industry membership
• Ice rink training
• Recreational facility association

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues from three tiers: Individual ($95), Facility ($350), and Vendor ($475) providing recurring subscription revenue.
2. RINK Magazine Advertising: Bi-monthly industry trade publication with advertising sales managed through Nordstar Media Group. Provides 25% discount to vendor members for advertising.
3. Regional Training Programs: In-person CIT and CRA certification courses held around the country at member rinks with registration fees.
4. North American Rink Conference & Expo (NARCE): Annual conference with exhibitor booth space and event sponsorships as revenue streams. Vendor members receive 30% discount on exhibitor space.
5. Certification Programs: CIT recertification exams and professional certification courses for individual members and facility employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The United States Ice Rink Association (USIRA) is a non-profit national membership organization that provides three tiers of annual membership (Individual, Facility, Vendor) along with industry-recognized professional certification programs (CIT, CIRM, CRA), regional in-person training, an annual conference and trade show (NARCE), a bi-monthly trade publication (RINK Magazine), a vendor directory, an online used equipment marketplace, and a job board to support ice rink facility owners, operators, suppliers, and professionals in the United States.

Product overview

The United States Ice Rink Association operates as a membership-based organization offering a portfolio of products and services centered on professional development, certification, and industry resources for the ice rink industry. The core offerings include three professional certification programs (CIT recognized by the NHL, CRA, and CIRM) delivered through in-person Regional Training Programs; RINK Magazine, a bi-monthly trade publication; the annual North American Rink Conference & Expo (NARCE); and a Vendor Member Directory with digital flipbook. Supporting services include a Used Equipment Marketplace, Job Board/Career Center, and STEM Program for facility field trips. The association provides three membership tiers—Individual ($95/year), Facility ($350/year), and Vendor ($475/year)—each granting access to member resources through a private online portal, with members also gaining access to a private Facebook Group for networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RINK Magazine

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USA HockeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member organization that co-established the association in 2000 to foster development and growth of the ice rink industry.
• U.S. Figure SkatingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member organization that co-established the association in 2000 to foster development and growth of the ice rink industry.
• ORFA (Ontario Recreational Facilities Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated as Education Partner, providing educational resources and alignment for certification programs.
• Nordstar Media GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBryan Nelson serves as RINK Magazine Ad Sales Representative through Nordstar Media Group, handling advertising sales for the association's bi-monthly publication.
• MIAMA (Midwest Ice Arena Management Association)minorOthersAllied member organization representing ice arena management in the Midwest region.
• WIAMA (Wisconsin Ice Arena Management Association)minorOthersAllied member organization representing ice arena management in Wisconsin.
• NEISMA (Northeast Ice rink and Skating Managers Association)minorOthersAllied member organization representing ice rink managers in the Northeast region.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Ontario Recreational Facilities Association (ORFA): Designated USIRA Education Partner that operates a parallel recreational facility management certification and training program in Canada. Directly comparable as a membership-based training and certification body for facility operators.
• Ice Hockey UK: National governing body for ice hockey in the UK with affiliated rink-operator interests. Comparable as a federation-style body with indirect influence over ice facility operations and certification in another geography.

Broad incumbents

• USA Hockey: One of USIRA's two founding members and a voting bloc on its Board. Comparable as a national sports governing body that shapes facility standards, certification pathways, and grassroots participation feeding rink demand.
• U.S. Figure Skating: USIRA's other founding member with staff representation on the Board. Comparable as a national governing body whose membership and competition pipeline drives ice facility utilization.
• IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association): Global trade association for fitness and recreation clubs with tiered memberships, industry research, and an annual trade show. Comparable as a membership-association business model serving facility-based recreation operators.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): Large national non-profit serving park and recreation professionals with certifications, publications, and an annual conference. Comparable as a broader umbrella for public-sector recreation facility operators, some of whom also run ice rinks.
• Hockey Canada: Canadian national governing body for hockey that partners with ORFA on facility standards. Comparable to USA Hockey's role as a USIRA founder shaping rink standards and grassroots demand.

Direct peers

• Recreation Management (magazine/website): Trade publication and resource hub for recreation facility managers. Comparable as a content and advertising channel serving ice rink and recreation facility operators, intersecting with USIRA's RINK Magazine audience.
• Athletic Business: Trade media and events business serving athletic and recreation facility operators, including ice facilities. Comparable as a content, conference, and B2B media platform targeting the same buyer personas as USIRA.
• NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation: National association for collegiate recreational sports facility operators, offering credentials, publications, and an annual conference. Directly comparable to USIRA's member-driven, certification-centric association model for facility professionals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-states-ice-rink-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United States Ice Rink Association